Purposeful Design = Social Enrichment

Embracing Healthy Social Connections at Carsins Run

Feelings of loneliness and isolation can sometimes
overtake the lives of seniors, empty nesters, widows
and widowers—and that can have a negative effect
on one’s well-being, both emotionally and physically.

According to a recent study, social isolation and
loneliness are associated with a higher risk of
mortality in adults aged 52 and older.1 The reason?
Perhaps it’s because they lack a social network.

Feelings of loneliness are also linked to poor
cognitive performance and quicker cognitive decline,2
not to mention depression in both middle-aged and older adults.3 Loneliness has been seen to cause high blood pressure as well. A study in Psychology and Aging indicated a direct relationship between loneliness in older adults and increases in systolic blood pressure over a four-year period.4

But there is good news! Recently, future Residents
of Carsins Run attended a special seminar led by
THW Architects who shared many exciting details
about the thoughts that went into this new senior
living community! Carsins Run was designed to
ensure connectivity to the external community as well as the internal community. This starts with the recently completed pedestrian nature walking trail just off Route #543 at Eva Mar Boulevard.

According to Carsins Run architects, “Our goal was to infuse our design with the biophilia philosophy— a theory that suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. We know that being outdoors— whether living near water, nature and/or near the woods—has a healing effect. We’ve designed Carsins Run to embrace this concept.”

“Every space in the community
has been designed to ensure
pedestrian connectivity and
socialization. The landscape plan
includes a traversing trail system and activities where residents can join, observe and
engage—including a putting green, two fire pits, a
pavilion for get-togethers, as well as the lake and
smaller pooling ponds and streams.”

Inside, Carsins Run will boast club and amenity space
totaling 35,000 sq. ft. “We’re bringing in daylight
with large windows and high ceilings and positioning
the Community Clubhouse so that all the views are
focused on the outside courtyard, nature and lake
views. The Clubhouse has been created to be the
‘energy center’ for residents. Every path leads to a
destination within the clubhouse, including the Event
Center, Fitness Center and multiple dining venues.”

Isolation and loneliness will be hard to find on the
program at Carsins Run—and that’s clearly by design!

Footnotes

1 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America, www.pnas.org